Originally Posted by
Islandhopper
The biggest problem is the stupid bridge program crap that a lot of the regionals do. I personally spoke with HR about a person that I have flown with and before even hearing the hours my friend had, they wanted to know if he was in a bridge program. I said no, and it was over. Tell him to apply online if he has 1000/100. I rebuked, asking how recent new hires with 250/25 are better than someone with 1200/75. They said it was because 9Es HR has toured MTSU and decided that they do a good job training pilots.
Nothing against MTSU, RAA and all the other bridge programs. But 250/25 is NEVER better than 1200/90. We see this at so many regionals. Getting a job is not about how good of a pilot you are. It is about how much money you spend. This industry is definitely moving to a pay for your job industry. It is becoming harder and harder to be old fashioned and earn your job.
A) Not saying that 250 hours is better, BUT, first of all, at MTSU we DON'T send 250 hour pilots to Pinnacle. I had the lowest total time of the bridge program hires from here, and I had 670/55 at the hire date, at which point I allready had an interview offer with ASA.
B) Second, a 700 hour pilot with glass cockpit training, CRM training, and FMS training might be more of a sure thing for them than a 1200 hour guy with no glass time and doesn't even know what FMS stands for. (Not that your friend fits either category, only defending the program).
I'm not saying that the program makes Bob Hoover level pilots or anything, I'm jsut saying that maybe the bridge thing isn't always as bad as some people make it out to be. I also think that there are probably a few guys out there that only badmouth bridge programs because they weren't presented with the opportunity when they were in school.
Bottom line, we're in a dynamic industry that is always changing and the hiring trends and flight training changes just as much, as it is required to, just to keep up.
And for what it's worth, I was offered an interview with Pinnacle in February long before we even had the bridge program up and working. I drove to Memphis and a friend walked me around and introduced me to everyone, resumes in hand, then they offered me an interview date on the spot. Due to the requirement to graduate first, plus after hearing I'm from a school they were devolping the bridge with, they decided to put me on their list for the bridge instead. Either way, I still got a job.